The worn leather of Uncle Rory’s favorite armchair groaned as James sat down. “McCullogh is a miracle worker. I expected repairs to take at least a week.”
“He’s dramatic. The damage wasnae as bad as he made it sound.”
When they’d arrived in Edinburgh two days before, the shipyard had been a flurry of activity as men scrambled to pull the crane from the water and start repairs. Callum’s chest had tightened as he recognized the men as employees from other companies along the firth working alongside Taggart’s men.Rory Taggart always helped others before himself, one man had told him.We’re only paying it forward.
James chuckled. “You sound disappointed. Were you hoping for a disaster? Massive loss of life and limbs?”
“Of course no’.”
“Then why so grumpy?”
Because now he had no excuse to stay away from Yorkshire. He’d been a fool and memorized the train tables while they waited for their carriage at the station; if he left within the next two hours, he’d make it to the abbey in time—
“There’s work to be done,” Callum spat, turning from the window to face his cousin. “Suppliers to pay, not to mention signing the contracts with the new investors—”
“Come with me to Claremont.” James’s expression was soft, sad even. “We have time, and there’s nothing pressing here.”
“That’s no’ true—”
James grunted as he pushed to his feet. “I know you. I know you better than anyone else on this earth, and I’m telling you now that if you don’t come back to Yorkshire with me tonight, you will regret it for the rest of your life.”
The words rained over him like shattered glass, slicing him with shimmering slivers. He would do anything to be back in his bed, wrapped around Violet’s warmth, listening to her laughter, watching the flush climb up her neck as he brought her pleasure.
“Violet doesnae want me there.”
“Did you ask her, or did you decide what she wanted for her?”
He swallowed, but the lump did not dislodge from his throat. “She wants more than me. A husband, a life… Not—” He gestured out over the bustling shipyard, the empire that meant everything to him but would never be his, that might cease to exist if he let his guard down for even a moment.
A thought tugged the back of his mind, like he’d been caught brushing by a thorn. She still wanted to be ruined, and he’d promised it to her. Besides, he needed to say goodbye properly, leave her to think of him in a positive light.
“I see that look.” James grinned. “I already got us tickets on the four o’clock train. Plenty of time for you to make yourself presentable.”
He crossed his arms over his chest; he wouldn’t tolerate his cousin managing him. “Ye bought both of us tickets? What if I’d refused to go?”
“I would have taken Mam. She loves the country.” He clapped Callum on his shoulder. “Now let’s go see your girl.”
Chapter 34
Perhaps Violet should beconcerned that she’d committed several deadly sins in a converted abbey. She had been prideful in demanding true love or nothing, and greedy in considering her needs over those of her family. And, if the amount of cheese and biscuits she had consumed in the past day while hiding in her bedchamber was any indication, gluttony and sloth should be added to the list. Lust was a foregone conclusion, as her photograph would surely be displayed in church school primers for generations to come to embody the sin.
The last ball of the Claremont Abbey house party had been a glittering display of opulence since she was a girl watching from the balconies with her sisters. Tonight, Bridget and the staff had outdone themselves. Chandeliers gave off soft light, and the air hung heavy with the perfume of towering arrangements of spring flowers from the gardens. This was a place to fall in love, to succumb to the magic of romance and infinite possibilities.
Half a year prior, she’d stood in the ballroom of Timothy’s estate and convinced Rose to follow her heart, to chase the man she loved to America. She’d thought herself a heroic martyr, shackling herself with the burden of marrying to save the family. But now, while her sister gallivanted around Brooklyn without a care in the world, she was stuck waiting for a man she’d never love to propose while the one she wanted had run from their bed, never once looking back.
The time had come to crossenvyoff the list. Perhaps she could toss back a few more glasses of champagne, tell Lord Pennington what she really thought of him and his wandering hands, and add wrath to her accomplishments at the house party. The vicar would be so proud.
The Almighty must have heard her sinful thoughts, because thunder rattled the windows of the ballroom, interrupting the persistent lashing of rain against the exterior walls. The guests gasped in unison, the entire party pausing before resuming their festivities, as though a shockwave hadn’t just traveled through Yorkshire.
“Beautiful dress,” Timothy remarked as he reached her side. She’d been hovering near the edges of the room, but of course her friend would find her. “Is it new?”
She nodded, smoothing her hands over the front of her skirt. Mr. Marks had been in a tizzy when he dropped the parcel off that morning, apologizing profusely for not having completed the alterations to her hand-me-down dress.I hope this will be an adequate substitute,he’d said, his eyes sparkling.
The pale lace overlay was even more delicate than it had appeared in his shop, the sweep of the amethyst watered silk skirt creating the illusion of more height than she possessed.
She struggled to maintain her belief that the gown was a last-minute replacement when she discovered it had been altered perfectly to her measurements.
Timothy shifted on his feet and sighed. “I hate this,” he grumbled. “How many couples here are actually happy with their lives?”
